


drag me all the way to hell

by tender_sushijima



Series: sakuatsu [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Established Relationship, Gen, Love Song, M/M, Origin Story, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:29:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29549343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tender_sushijima/pseuds/tender_sushijima
Summary: They're boyfriends in a rock band. No, not boy-friends, but boyfriends. They're not just a pairing because they're really boyfriends.
Relationships: Miya Atsumu & Sakusa Kiyoomi & Hoshiumi Kourai & Kageyama Tobio & Komori Motoya, Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi
Series: sakuatsu [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2161872
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28
Collections: SakuAtsu Fluff Week 2021





	drag me all the way to hell

**Author's Note:**

> I love focusing on different haikyuu groups, but I didn't realize how interesting the All-Japan Youth one would be until I tried this. They make quite an elite team.
> 
> Title from ONE OK ROCK'S "[Taking Off](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1NU-YkY3dk)" because I grew up with them.

_Can you sing for me?_

They’re bandmates. In All-Youth, they’re known as the two guitarists who never fail to make the mosh pit go crazy during their solos. He and Kiyoomi are fan favorites, always lumped together like two peas in a pod because their interactions are hailed as being the most electric of chemistries. _SakuAtsu_ is what the hashtags would say, under which are thousands of music video screencaps and picture edits that spawn millions of stories and art retelling their love story in an infinite number of ways.

They’re universally known as the ultimate power duo—they’re eye candies, multitalented, and living their best lives doing what they love. In interviews and short video clips of them away from the music scene, they’re goofy and compatible, both still children at hearts. What’s not to love about them? Though they’re assumed to be the closest in the band, they’re just as close to their other members, the three who’d stuck with them through thick and thin, in sunny days and stormy ones, from the beginning until the foreseeable end. After all, they’d tolerated the questionable things Kiyoomi and Atsumu do and say to each other, at least half of them vomit-inducing, which means they’d made up their minds and prepared themselves to face even more.

It started all the way back in their second year of high school, when Atsumu had gathered the five of them on the rooftop and declared that they should make a band. Even back then, Atsumu was already popular, being the poster boy of perfection personified. He’s friendly, handsome, athletic, plays the guitar, and pretty smart. (Note: _pretty_ smart, because although he mixed in with the honor students in hopes that their intelligence would rub off on him, that belief was proof that he’s just _pretty_ smart.) The last thing that’ll spice things up for him was popularity—not the one that he already had, but the mainstream type that’ll earn him a living.

Kourai thought it was a pipe dream, impossible even, but Atsumu had pressed on and convinced all four of them to stay. He’d hyped up the idea of being in a band, going on world tours in RVs and living a life of creative catharsis by painting those images into their heads with his flowery words. Atsumu had romanticized them so much that it made Tobio a little delirious and dissociate. Motoya even had to tackle him to the floor before he accidentally falls off the roof in his blind thrill. They’d all taken turns in disbelieving his dream of being in a band, but Kiyoomi had always believed in him one hundred percent since the beginning. When Atsumu says things, he says them in a way that makes you believe that it’ll happen, that you’ll be the lucky one and realize your dreams.

He didn’t think it’s also influenced by the same part of his brain that goes _so cute_ whenever Atsumu smiles so wide that his nose scrunches up, and he’d spent the rest of high school insisting that he only thought so because it’s the truth. Atsumu _is_ cute.

Of course, nothing in life comes easy. Most bands go through a rough patch at the beginning of their formation, where they struggle to make a name for themselves, let alone reserve show slots in venue. Top that with the low budget of their equipment and lack of experience, and it was as if the world was constantly telling them to stop, to quit, to give up their dream of being the greatest band in the world. They’ve had squabbles, fistfights, disagreements, hostility, and even temporary disbandment, but all those were fleeting compared to the times they spent together.

In the last year of their high school (Tobio’s second), when things were the roughest as they were forced to choose between furthering their education or pursuing an unknown musical path, they struck jackpot. By some strange luck, a music enthusiast with too much disposable income came across their demo tapes, all of which were rejected by record labels, and wanted to sponsor their debut showcase in a live house.

At first, they thought he was a scam artist. After all, which random man would simply contact them after major companies had told them that their music is _amateurish_ and _lacking power,_ claiming that they _have the potential to break through the scene?_ But, sitting in Tenma’s spacious living room, perspiring cups of orange juice clasped in their tight hands, it was the closest splash to reality that they’ve ever felt since they started band practice. And sitting across them was someone who could help make their dreams come true, if they’re willing to take his advice and choose to fully dedicate their lives to music.

It was a big decision to make, so he’d let them come to it at their own paces. For Atsumu, it was easy, as his mind’s been long set on the path of music and it’s all he could ever dream of. Kiyoomi had expected him to promptly persuade the others into choosing music, but he’s surprised that Atsumu had only smiled and calmly said that he’ll respect their wishes no matter what it was, and that he wouldn’t blame them if they chose to quit. It was then that Kiyoomi realized that he did like Atsumu, and he didn’t wait to tell him of his feelings the night before their first show.

It was the first time they kissed, and in a heartbeat, Kiyoomi knew that he’ll follow this boy wherever he goes.

_I’m not singing for you._

In their third year of commercial success, SakuAtsu made internet headlines for being basically canon. Photos of them displaying their physical intimacy could be found everywhere—of Atsumu’s head on Kiyoomi’s shoulder as they’re taking a ten in practice, of Kiyoomi hugging Atsumu from behind while they talk business with the stage manager, of them holding hands and sharing ice cream in a music festival. It reached the point where the other three members always felt as if they’re intruding on something when they had to talk to either guitarists, even when they’re separated.

It’s inevitable to not talk about SakuAtsu when talking about All-Youth. They were responsible for half of the attention they garnered, and while it made all five of them feel awkward to be seen as The Boyfriends and their Three Single Tagalongs band, they won’t deny that the tunnel attention had sustained and improved their lives considerably. It didn’t matter to them how they were found; whether the people came for the hot guitarist boyfriends or out of genuine interest in their music, All-Youth was happy that most of them eventually stayed for the latter. Otherwise, they’ll be screwed, because they’d begun to conceptualize a variety of music styles to try out in the future, all of which are nothing like what their younger selves had created and what had sold out their shows in an hour.

They’d grown out of their rebellious teenage phase, and so did their music. They went from the noisy punk music of the oppressed youths to the cleaner and more conventional sounds of international bands. It wasn’t smooth-sailing when they released their album that had more English than Japanese, and the balanced like to dislike ratio tipped even more to the right the more people learned that they’d signed with an American music label. There were touches of Western music professionals peppered in the albums from then on, and as more and more old fans fell out of love with their venture into new genres, SakuAtsu fell off the charts for missing their usual intimacy.

Nothing happened between them. They just took on a more professional air when they’re in public, though the other three had sensed something change between them. They’re preparing for their first world tour when the bomb detonated an hour before they departed for the airport. Needless to say, it’s a good thing that they couldn’t get to choose their seats, so they were all separated and accompanied by individuals in their team.

_Why not?!_

Kiyoomi never sings. At least not for All-Youth. He does hum melodies that he thinks could be pitched to their producers, but vocalization is a no-no. It’s a well-known fact not just among the members but also their fanbase—Kiyoomi just doesn’t sing.

On the contrary, Atsumu sings so much that he could replace Tobio for an entire concert and nobody would complain. Aside from being the lead guitarist, he’s also in charge of providing backup vocals and making demos. Once he’s gained enough confidence to show his written poetry to people, he started to add to them the strings of his guitar and gradually took over as the band’s official songwriter. He also gained newfound courage to branch into writing English lyrics, which led to their rocky but definite international success.

Atsumu’s first musical love wasn’t the guitar, it was singing, and Kiyoomi knew that very well. They’d both spent hours in their usual karaoke room, whether with the others or just the two of them, yelling incoherently into the mics and losing themselves in the music and moment. Kourai, Tobio and Motoya have all heard Kiyoomi sing, snatches of their songs or overly played pop ones that the radio wouldn’t stop playing for months, but only Atsumu has really heard Kiyoomi’s true singing.

Turned out that All-Youth's lucky lovebirds were only ignoring each other because one had refused to sing the other a love song. Why? Because apparently the one who refused to sing has never once said _I love you_ to the other. It’s silly, so silly that not even Tenma knew what to say to them, and Tenma gives the best pep talks. They kept up this cold war for a couple more weeks into their world tour, though, thankfully, they’re able to maintain an air of professionality and gave the fans what they came to see.

As the weight of a long labor on a faraway land caught up to them and ebbed away at their general buzz of doing what they love, communicating with either guitarists became a chore. They weren’t talking to each other, which isn’t bad because that’s normal, but they also weren’t blatantly flirting like two sword fighting partners radiating sexual tension. _That’s_ not normal, and although their mealtimes were improved without one of them leaving to throw up outside the bus, it didn’t feel right either. The band looked alright onstage, but offstage, it was just The Three Musketeers; the other two might as well be ghosts to each other. The three friends had half the mind to lock them up in one bus so they would reconcile, but they trusted their mascots to bounce back from the squabble and come back stronger than ever.

Like the saying that tells how there is always light after a period of darkness, SakuAtsu regained their momentum offstage towards the end of the world tour. The Three Musketeers suspected that Kiyoomi must’ve relented and sung something for Atsumu, because Atsumu never loses, and their deductions were more or less confirmed when they reported back to each other of having heard Kiyoomi allegedly sing, or at least something close to it.

To get to the portable toilets, Kourai would have to pass by the campfire circle, and on some nights, he would see Kiyoomi hunched over his guitar, strumming and humming an unknown melody. During intermissions of their concerts, Tobio would pull out the volleyball he brings along and distract himself from hunger by bumping it alone, and he would see Kiyoomi sprawled over a nearby bench, violently scribbling into a notebook. Motoya’s experience was what gave it away, because the normally emotionally conservative Kiyoomi was outright asking him about love. It was delightful for them to discover that Kiyoomi’s iron will had bent in the face of Atsumu’s fiery desire, but also frankly disgusting. That’s normal, though, and they let them patch things up on their own.

_Because a song won’t be enough for me to say how much I love you._

They only discover a few months later, as they’re sitting in the meeting room with Tenma and their producers and sound engineers, that what Kiyoomi had been working on throughout their world tour was the song he’d written for Atsumu out of anger. The demo might just be one of the best one they’ve ever heard, and they have Tobio and Atsumu as their vocal representatives.

Needless to say, Kiyoomi’s love song was so well done that nobody wanted to make any alterations to the melody or lyrics. This completely outraged the ever-competitive Atsumu, but everyone knew his beetroot red face was not from rage, but from shyness.

_Why did you go this far?! I only asked you to sing an existing love song!_

Within a day of this song’s release, it topped multiple charts and could be heard at least twice a day in the radio. Fan-made videos of pairings from various fictional stories had it as the background music, parts of the lyrics were used in confessing through text messages, and it became a global love song as big as John Legend and Christina Perri’s. All-Youth had established their reputation as a group of kids who seeks for their place in this world, yet they always returned to the main cause of their success, which is the undying love that their guitarists share.

Kourai wouldn’t stop poking fun at them for that. He’d joke that their band has realized The Boyfriends and their Three Single Tagalongs thing that their fans wouldn’t stop going on and on about and made it a reality, but he’s not leaving the table early to heave. Tobio would do extra homework during his free time and read up on accounts of romance, both fictional and true, so he could better translate emotions into his voice. Sometimes, if he’s daring enough, he would do a coin toss to decide which guitarist to ring up and ask about what it’s like being in love. Motoya doesn’t act any differently before and after, simply keeping a watchful eye over them as their spokesperson and peacemaker. In the middle of some of their most energetic performances, he would catch the drummer and vocalist exchange knowing glances when the guitarists stand back-to-back with the brightest beams on their faces, and he knows they love those two lovebirds just as much as they love each other.

In the concert of their tenth-year anniversary, Kiyoomi finally took the mic and took part in the casual chatting corner, more comfortable now to speak in front of thousands. Atsumu didn’t know what prompted that sudden change while the other three did, and he was stunned to silence when the same voice from the love song’s demo rang through the speakers. No guitar, no instruments, no screams or cheers from the crowd—nothing but Kiyoomi’s love declaration to Atsumu for five minutes straight.

Not even an hour passed by and they’d made multiple international news headlines, propelling All-Youth into trying out romantic pop-rock, a sound that they never thought they would all like.

_Next time you doubt my love for you, remember that there’s one song dedicated to you in our entire discography. Long live SakuAtsu, okay?_

**Author's Note:**

> Uuuummm excuse me but you ever just //screams into pillow//
> 
> Might post an art of this on [insta](https://www.instagram.com/tender_sushijima/), so if you'd like to see it, stay tuned yo.
> 
> Stay safe and healthy, and long live SakuAtsu.


End file.
